fried sweet potato wontons with spicy cranberry dipping sauce

feeling overwhelmed with all your thanksgiving leftovers today? not quite sure what to do with it all?

i'm over at patch today with a solution. in just a few short steps you can have a game-time appetizer using two turkey-day staples: sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce.

check it out at http://patch.com/A-nXqD

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happy thanksgiving

my favorite holiday is a little different this year. i'm currently in the bahamas with the nanny family soaking up some sunshine and chasing little ones around the crazy pools.

needless to say i won't be cooking tomorrow so unfortunately i don't have any recipes to post.

however, on saturday i'll be posting a "what to do with thanksgiving leftovers" column over on patch.com. check back then to see what fun ideas i came up with.

until then - eat lots of turkey, drink too much wine and play a round of dominoes for me.

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ginger soba noodles

i'm tired. my eyes are trying to close. i had a long, long day that included getting peed on by a 6 month old (and we're not talking about just a drop...we're talking full stream). i'm exhausted but i can't go to bed until i write this post. i'm that excited about this recipe. 

i made this for dinner tonight for the nanny family. i took one bite and knew i was in trouble...i couldn't stop! the secret is in the ginger dressing. all the ingredients perfectly blended together to create this tangy but sweet sauce to coat the sticky soba noodles. after some coercing we even got the kiddies to eat it. you can serve it as a main course or a side dish.

the recipe comes from heidi swanson at 101 cookbooks. i had to tweak it a little tiny bit based on what i had at the house. here we go!

ingredients:

8 oz dried soba noodles

1 tablespoon freshly grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1 teaspoon mirin (optional)

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

1 celery stalk, strings removed, then chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

a few big handfuls of cubed tofu, pan-fried or baked until golden

1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, plus a little more

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

directions:

cook the soba noodles according to package directions in well salted water. drain, rinse under cold water, and shake off as much of the water as possible.

meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the ginger, toasted sesame oil, lemon zest and juice, onion, mirin, honey, salt, vinegar, celery, and oil in a food processor. blend until very smooth, then press aggressively through a strainer. 

in a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the tofu, most of the pumpkin seeds, and the dressing. garnish with green onions and remaining pumpkin seeds.

side note: the kiddies asked for some "soy" on theirs...meaning soy sauce. you can add a little of that on top or even some brown rice vinegar.

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buffalo chicken grilled cheese

last week i made my version of the perfect lunch. in my opinion, lunch is the best meal of the day. it includes my two favorite foods groups: chips and bread. throw a diet coke in there (maybe a piece of dark chocolate) and i'm happier than a happy meal.

this sandwich is a spicy, creamy, crunchy, gooey, indulgent mess all in one bite. i promise it's worth it.

check it out at http://patch.com/A-nCss

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maple dijon roasted winter vegetables

so simple. so delicious. and so perfect for the winter season.

this recipe comes from gwyneth paltrow's cookbook. i love it because your palate gets a little bit of everything - sweet, spicy and salty. plus it's such a great side dish for any of your winter staples - roast chicken, panko crusted pork chops or herbs de provence steak.

ingredients:
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick

directions:

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

mix together the syrup, mustard, oil, salt, and pepper. toss together with vegetables on a large baking sheet. roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

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sausage, spinach, and provolone pizza

friday nights at the nanny house are our italian nights - i either make the kiddies pizza or pasta.

one friday i had to make dinner for the nanny parents also so i whipped up this more grown up version for them. i used provolone cheese instead of mozzarella, giving the pizza a stronger and more pronounced flavor. provolone is a little bit nutty and melts beautifully. this is so so good and takes no time to pull together. i promise.

ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 links hot italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 small bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 3 cups)
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 pound thinly sliced provolone
1 cup marinara sauce
red pepper flakes

directions:
preheat oven to 425 degrees.

roll out pizza dough on floured surface into any shape you want. transfer to baking sheet, brush with olive oil and cook for 15 minutes.

meanwhile, heat skillet with remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. brown sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. add the spinach to skillet and season with salt and pepper.  cook until spinach has wilted, about 1 minute.

take dough out of oven and top with marinara sauce, cheese, and the sausage/spinach mixture. sprinkle with red pepper flakes and bake until crust is crisp and the cheese has melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

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